Call for Contributors: “Recovering Queer Histories in Unexpected Places”
The Activist History Review invites proposals for our May 2019 issue, “Recovering Queer Histories in Unexpected Places.”
Tag: appalachia
Appalachians in the Academy
The American public university is being destroyed, much as central Appalachia in many places was destroyed. It’s being stripped down and sold for parts. And the people in power do not care.
I’m From Around Here, Too
I’m becoming. I’m becoming authentic. I’m becoming solid in the fact that I am good at my job, that I deserve to be in front of these students each day, just as much as any white, cishet male counterparts with degrees from way up North. I’m becoming solid in the understanding that by accepting my own identities (and the privileges and oppressions that come with them) I can clear space for my students to do the same.
Weird Academica: Life in Academia as a Non-Binary Appalachian
I have found that academia can offer a lower-class West Virginian from a single-mother family the chance to live an illusion. I have been able to travel countries, gain audiences of affluent scholars, and been given a platform for my voice that I would not have received outside of academia.
Being Appalachian Isn’t Just About Owning Guns
A few weeks ago I wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post’s “Made by History” series about gun violence and white supremacy. I expected some backlash, and I got it.
The West Virginia Teachers’ Strike and the Power of Grassroots Change
When this goes down in history, we don’t want the story to be that teachers went on a nine-day strike. We want the story to be that this was the beginning of a snowball effect of wonderful things happening for West Virginia. I think that in order for that to happen, we have to “Remember in November.”
That Fella Ain’t Right: Whisper Networks in Appalachia
By the time I left Huntington, I was well known for my outspoken activism related to sexual violence. My first rapist’s name was synonymous with my own, tied to the places he worked and the people who shielded him.
The Formerly New Activists: Fighting the Trump Administration in Appalachia
One year ago, the three of us had not yet met. We were in various states of anger, frustration, and fear. Today, we co-host a podcast, are board members of a progressive organization, and friends. Here is how we each got here.
Appalachian Voices’ “Solarize Wise” Program: Energy Savings and Job Creation Appalachia
To protect and improve quality of life, Appalachian Voices launched Solarize Wise, a Southwestern Virginia program that is working to bring affordable solar energy to the region.
White Appalachian Poverty in the National Mind
Given this picture of the state as defined by poverty, it is little wonder that West Virginia became known for its support of Donald Trump and his promise to “make America great again.” But, here in West Virginia, there is also a sense that our collective longing for the good old days has been hanging around for quite some time.
